Parking assistance system

Abstract

A parking assistance system for supporting a parking maneuver of a motor vehicle, during which the motor vehicle is automatically moved into a parked position. The parking assistance system has an unloading mode that can be activated by a user to enable the unloading of an object and/or to enable the disembarkation of a passenger before completion of the parking maneuver, wherein a temporary stop of the motor vehicle in an unloading position is automatically caused before reaching the parked position in response to the activation of said unloading mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operating a parking assistance system to park a vehicle in a parked position, comprising:
 accepting a user selection of an unloading region located on the vehicle and a user activation of an unloading mode; 
 moving the vehicle to and stopping the vehicle in an unloading position before reaching the parked position, the unloading position determined by the system to facilitate access to the unloading region; and 
 upon a second user activation, automatically resuming movement to the parked position. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the vehicle and an adjacent edge of a parking space. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the distance is selectable by a user. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an automatic check of a state of a vehicle system prior to resuming movement to the parked position. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle system comprises a vehicle door and/or a gearshift selector. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising providing an indication to a user if the state of the vehicle system is not appropriate for resuming movement to the parked position. 
     
     
       7. A method of operating a parking assistance system of a vehicle, comprising:
 in response to a first activation, starting an automatic parking maneuver moving the vehicle to a parked position; 
 in response to a second activation, stopping the vehicle in an unloading position before reaching the parked position, the unloading position determined by the system to facilitate access to an unloading region located on the vehicle; and 
 in response to a third activation, resuming the automatic parking maneuver. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the unloading region is selectable by a user. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the unloading region is selectable by the user before the automatic parking maneuver is started. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the unloading region and an adjacent edge of a parking space. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the distance is selectable by a user. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second activation occurs after the start of the automatic parking maneuver and causes the vehicle to stop in the unloading position. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising an automatic check of a state of a vehicle system prior to resuming the parking maneuver. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle system comprises a vehicle door and/or a gearshift selector. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising providing an indication to a user if the state of the vehicle system is not appropriate for resuming the parking maneuver. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 7 , wherein while the vehicle is in the unloading position, the parking assistance system remains in a condition wherein the automatic parking maneuver is not aborted by at least one of exceeding a time in the unloading position, operation of a parking brake, and operation of a gearshift selector. 
     
     
       17. A method of operating a parking assistance system to park a vehicle in a parked position, comprising:
 moving the vehicle to and stopping the vehicle in an unloading position prior to reaching the parked position, the unloading position determined by the system to provide improved access, as compared with the parked position, to an unloading region located on the vehicle; and 
 after a user activation, completing movement to the parked position. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the unloading region is selectable by the user. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the unloading region and an adjacent edge of a parking space. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the distance is selectable by a user.